


Forever After

by Tangerine



Category: X-Factor (Comics)
Genre: M/M, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 22:24:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13133457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangerine/pseuds/Tangerine
Summary: Rictor's life is split into two distinct parts.





	Forever After

**Author's Note:**

  * For [janie_tangerine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/janie_tangerine/gifts).



Julio's life is split into two distinct parts: Before Shatterstar and After Shatterstar. Before Shatterstar is the longer of the two so far, but After Shatterstar _feels_ like it stretches forever. It may just be that the memories are more fresh in his mind, but it's probably that life with Shatterstar is a nonstop roller coaster of intense emotions, ridiculous situations and the weirdest relationship he has ever been in. 

Case in point: he is walking down 1st Ave, with Star on his back, and they are arguing about bagels.

"There is a _chance_ that I was thinking about bagels when we teleported," Julio grits out, his arms under Star's thighs, counting down the blocks until home. Twenty, he tells himself grimly, marching on, we still have twenty blocks to go. He vows never to forget his wallet and phone again. He knows better. 

"Thank you for admitting it," Star says magnanimously, arms slung casually across Julio's shoulders, a bag of freshly-baked bagels hanging from one hand. It sways hypnotically with every step Julio takes.

"But it's much more likely that it was the fact your foot was facing the wrong way, and you weren't thinking straight, and that's why we ended up at the bagel shop," Julio adds quickly. He knows he's being childish, but Star brings out the best in him, as every member of X-Factor has often told him, usually dripping with sarcasm. He mostly ignores them, because it's not like any of them are any better. 

"It was barely broken," Star protests, arrogant and dismissive. "A true warrior scoffs at pain ..."

"It was pointing backwards," Julio says, cutting him off. Star has problems acknowledging he fucked up, which is _fine_ , Julio made peace with that fact long ago, but Star also isn't the one who has to carry his gangly boyfriend on his back for twenty-five blocks, in uniform, down a busy street with every person on the damn planet _staring_ at them. He doesn't know what the hell their problem is. They live in New York City. This is probably not even the weirdest thing they've seen this week. "And I don't even really care where we landed, to be honest. I'm just glad whenever we actually end up back on Earth."

Star tsks loudly in his ear. "That was one time."

"One time too many," Julio says, "and that was definitely you. I had never even been there before."

"This is not an exact science, Julio," Star replies, but it sounds as close to admitting fault as Julio's likely going to get, and Star wilts a little. His foot has to be killing him. They took time at the bakery to set the break – gaining a free bag of sympathy bagels in the process – but it was pretty gruesome. 

"Should we stop at a hospital?" Julio asks quietly. 

"No, I will be fine," Star says. "Do you want a bagel? She gave us several of your favourite."

"Yeah." A jalapeno-cheddar bagel appears over his shoulder, and Julio bites into it. It's so fucking good, and he doesn't care whose brain decided on bagels. Free bagels are free bagels, and free anything is awesome. "You know I'm not angry or anything, right? Mistakes happen. I make mistakes all the time."

"You forgot your wallet and your cell phone, knowing perfectly well I _always_ forget mine."

"See," Julio forces out, reminding himself that Star is technically correct, regardless of how smug he sounds right now. "And it's not like we haven't been in this situation before. Mexico was basically us carrying each other everywhere. Remember that time you swore you metabolized tequila like water?"

"I have a healing factor. The logic was perfectly sound," Star insists, smile pressed against Julio's neck. He offers Julio another bite of bagel, and Julio takes him up on it. So delicious. "You carried me home, and even though I swore I wouldn't vomit on you, I definitely did. Several times. I was very wrong."

Julio laughs. "What's a little puke between friends?"

"I was carrying you when you told me you loved me," Star says fondly, nuzzling behind his ear. 

"I was hallucinating," Julio protests with another laugh, a little more self-deprecating. He actually remembers very little about that time, but the expression that was on Star's face when he woke up – half spooked, half intrigued – is etched into his brain for all eternity. "You can't hold what a guy says against him when he's hallucinating."

"But it was true. I was incredibly flattered. Everyone else just wanted to have sex with me. You desired both."

"Yeah," Julio agrees and nudges Star's arm until the bagel shows up again and he can eat his feelings.

"That walk took two and a half days," Star says, voice soft. "I was very concerned for you."

"I was fine. I had you taking care of me," Julio replies, squeezing the only part of Star he can reach with his hands – his ass. Not particularly romantic, even by his standards, but Star presses a line of kisses over his neck, his lips warm and damp. He might have a fever. "I carried you like this in Silao."

"Perhaps I keep breaking my foot so you will carry me places," Star says fondly, rubbing Julio's cheek with his nose. Julio grumbles a little, because he worries about shit like this, but it's a bit funny, too. 

"My family is still convinced I'm hiding super-human strength," Julio says with a rueful smile. 

"It helped more than hindered," Star agrees. "Your cousin Alberto was quite incensed you were, in his words, hogging all the family mutant powers for yourself. I did not bother to inform him otherwise."

"Serves them right for constantly trying to spy on us."

"They made our sex life unnecessarily complicated," Star agrees.

Julio would roll his eyes, but it's wasted if Star can't see him do it. "That's not exactly what I meant." 

Star ignores him and murmurs, hot in his ear, "I remember the first time you let me carry you to bed." 

Julio feels his face warm at that, and he bites his lower lip. "I don't know why I was so against that."

"We were new to sex together, and you were concerned about what people would think," Star says, eternally terrible at rhetorical questions, but he says it so affectionately that Julio can't do anything but shiver a little. "I also remember the first time you carried me. We did not even make it to the bed."

Julio laughs out loud, startling a few gawking people walking past them. "That poor wall."

"We should do that again once we're home," Star says, tightening the vice of his legs a little as if Julio hasn't noticed the hard-on pressing into his back. Star doesn't have a subtle bone in his body, and Julio hopes he never develops one. "If you are not too tired from carrying me. Do you need a break?"

"If I stop, I'm pretty sure I'm not starting again," Julio admits, bouncing a bit to get Star just a little higher on his lower back, and Star gasps sharply. "Ninety-five pounds gets heavy after fifteen blocks."

"I've always admired your ability to ignore physical discomfort. More bagel?"

Julio nods, and Star gives him the last of it, holding it softly to his lips. "Thanks, Star."

"You're welcome, Julio." Star kisses his neck again. "I like that we have so many stories together."

"We've been with each other for a long time," Julio says softly, staring straight ahead. There are still ten blocks to go, and while his entire body is crying out for relief, he almost never wants it to end. Their lives with X-Factor are hectic and weird, and he values every moment they spend alone together, even when it's painful or annoying or the million other feelings Star inspires in him on a daily basis.

"I wish it was longer," Star says, snuffling into his hair. "Stay with me forever, Julio."

"I forgot how romantic you get when you're in pain," Julio replies, his heart hurting in that way it does sometimes when Star says something especially sweet. It makes the ridiculous circus of their lives absolutely worth it. "I'm not going anywhere ... except home, so I can put your ass down in bed."

"My foot feels better," Star insists, stretching his leg out, and there's a tenuous moment as Julio almost loses his hold, his balance off just enough that that it looks like he'll be the first to ever drop the other. Star clings to him tightly and redistributes his weight just enough that Julio recovers. "Sorry, Julio." 

"The bagels would have broken our fall."

"I'm not sure that's true," Star replies, and Julio can't help himself. He rolls his eyes, mostly for his own benefit. "We're back in Mutant Town, and my foot is almost healed. I can walk. Please put me down."

"The great thing about knowing you for ages is I can tell when you're lying. I'm fine."

Star sighs in his ear, but doesn't say anything else. 

It's really not that bad. They've been in worse situations, times when they couldn't joke or bicker, and they probably could have just waited it out, but it was a chaotic case, and they're both eager to get back to X-Factor and spend time together. They both imagined sex, but Julio thinks a nap is now more likely.

He's more than a little annoyed that Layla, who is supposed to know things, didn't know this. And he's incredibly irritated that no one at X-Factor decided to pick up the phone when he finally borrowed one from the bakery owner. It's extremely poor customer service, and he's going to leave a bad Google review. Madrox worries about unimportant shit like that, and Julio is just vindictive enough to do it. 

But the walk has been kind of fun. They got free bagels that neither of them have any intention of sharing, and it's not like they get a lot of private time together, with the rest of X-Factor basically treating their relationship like a soap opera, and everyone living in each other's pockets, barrier-free. 

Eventually, they come up to the X-Factor building, and Julio is grateful that nobody else is home. Julio unlocks the door with the key he actually remembered and carries Star up the stairs to their room. Carefully, he places a sleepy Star onto the bed and pries the bag of bagels from his fingers, putting them on top of the dresser. He locks their door and toes off his boots, shrugging out of his uniform. 

"I'm awake," Star insists as Julio tugs off his boots and begins to remove his pants. 

"Nap first," Julio replies, pulling Star's arms out of his coat. "Then we can think about other things."

Star makes a small noise of protest, but Julio can tell his foot is still messed up, purple and swollen. Julio needs to lie down before his back gives out. He's not as young as he used to be, and he's definitely not as fit as he once was with Cable breathing down his neck. Madrox basically just asks that nobody burns the place down, and that if they do, make sure it looks like something the insurance will cover.

Julio tugs the covers over Star then slides under them, too. 

"Thank you for carrying me," Star murmurs, rolling over onto him, using him like a pillow. 

"You're welcome," Julio says and presses a kiss into his hair. 

After Shatterstar is an unending series of adventures, spread over many years, two dimensions and two teams, but they also have moments like these ones, when they finally get home after a stressful day. These quiet moments together are the ones that sustain him. And if it lasts forever, that's fine by him.


End file.
